Prentice, Back in Court, Wins Just Another 30 Days

Cook County Judge Neil Cohen swatted down Friday a lawsuit preservationists filed to save Prentice Women’s Hospital, but ordered an extension of the threatened Goldberg building’s stay of demolition for another month.

Preservationists sued to overturn a decision by the Chicago Commission on Landmarks that ultimately denied protection for Prentice in November, asserting the commission violated its own rules of conduct by considering economic concerns over architectural merits.

“The Supreme Court says I can’t overturn decisions of legislative bodies based on their failures to follow procedure,” Judge Cohen said, offering the National Trust for Historic Preservation in the United States and Landmarks Illinois another month to amend their complaint.

“We appreciate the care with which Judge Cohen is considering the case,” read a statement from the Save Prentice coalition. The group unveiled Jan. 3 a series of proposals for preserving Prentice while meeting Northwestern University’s development goals.